Government is working on new CCS strategy

Government; CCS strategy

After the Red-Green coalition government halted full-scale CO2 capture on Mongstad and the new government stopped the assessment of alternative locations for full-scale CO2 capture, it's time to think outside the box.

17.01.2014 16:13
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​Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tord Lien is open to new ideas for CCS development.

Photo: MPE/Scanpix

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​The government has a new strategy in the works for CCS in Norway.

In the Sundvolden declaration, the government confirms a clear ambition of realising at least one full-scale demonstration facility for CO2 capture by 2020.

"This is a very challenging ambition. It does not mean that we will not do everything we can, but history has taught us that we should be cautious in making bombastic statements when it comes to promises and guarantees, particularly in terms of specific years," said Director General Tone Skogen in the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy at the 2014 CO2 conference.

Director General Tone Skogen in the MPE says that the staff is working tirelessly on a new CCS strategy. Photo: Claude R. Olsen

International contribution

Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tord Lien's first international visit was a meeting in the US regarding CCS. The meeting was headed by the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) where ministers from several key countries across the globe met to discuss further work in CCS. Norway can definitely contribute here, after many years of CCS development work, particularly through construction of the technology centre at Mongstad (TCM) and through support for research, development and demonstration from the CLIMIT programme. During the period 2005-2013, CLIMIT has allocated NOK 1.3 billion in support for 264 projects. The programme's budget was increased from 2013 to 2014, which will result in strengthened efforts in research and development.

The Minister has previously stated that it is not set in stone that the first full-scale plant must be located in Norway. He could be willing to examine how Norway can contribute to realising projects outside its borders.

New strategy

"The government has stated that it will prepare a new strategy for Norwegian CCS. The Minister has been clear in emphasising that we should not only learn from what has been done, but also to take the right steps in the right direction. We need to find a balance between doing things correctly, and making sure it does not take too long." says Skogen.

The official staff is working tirelessly on the new strategy, and will take a broad approach, looking at the entire sphere from research and technology to realisation of full-scale plants. The government has not indicated when the new CCS strategy will be ready.